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Medical and Research Library News

DSHS Medical and Research Library publishes MRL News, a monthly newsletter that highlights training opportunities, trending topics, and journal articles for public health professionals.

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HHS employees may email the Medical and Research Library to receive research assistance, learn how to access electronic resources featured in the newsletter, or obtain the full text of articles mentioned in this month’s news.

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Medical and Research Library News By Month

September 2025

Medical and Research Library News

Training opportunities
Websites and reports on trending topics
Journal articles of note

Training opportunities

The webinars and online classes listed here are shared solely as opportunities to learn more information of interest to public health personnel. All times listed are in Central Time.

September 12, 2025; 3–4 p.m. Breastfeeding in the United States: Strategies to Support Families and Achieve National Goals.
This webinar from the National Academies will examine U.S. policies, programs, and investments related to breastfeeding, assessing the health, social, and economic impacts of current rates, as well as identifying variances in rates and gaps in knowledge. It will provide evidence-based recommendations to strengthen support for mothers and families, improve and expand access to breastfeeding services and supplies, and increase breastfeeding rates in line with national goals.

September 17, 2025; 10–11:30 a.m. A Fireside Chat with Margaret Foster And The Team At Texas A&M: Systematic Reviews.
Curious about the future of evidence synthesis? Join this presentation from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) for an insightful and informal session on systematic reviews. The first part of the presentation will provide an update on emerging standards and best practices for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into systematic reviews. Discover practical workflows and applications, along with a frank discussion of the challenges involved. The remainder of the session will be dedicated to answering your questions about systematic reviews, ensuring you leave with valuable insights. Don't miss this opportunity to stay at the forefront of systematic review methodology.

September 23, 2025; 12–1:30 p.m. Culinary Medicine as Catalyst: Bridging Public Health, Primary Care, and Community Partnership.
Food is a powerful tool for prevention, connection, and health transformation. This webinar from the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living will explore the evolution of a culinary medicine and food as medicine model rooted in interprofessional education, clinical innovation, and sustainable community-academic partnerships. Through real-world examples from North Texas, the presentation will demonstrate how linking public health and primary care through food and cooking can empower communities, inspire meaningful research, and promote collaboration in health systems.

September 25, 2025; 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. DSHS Grand Rounds - Newborn Screening Updates.
This webinar is offered by the DSHS Office of Practice and Learning Grand Rounds program. DSHS Grand Rounds explores the science and practice of population health and awards continuing education credits/contact hours for various disciplines. Visit the Grand Rounds calendar to see information on upcoming sessions. Held monthly on the fourth Wednesday, sessions are
90 minutes with the final 20 minutes reserved for Q&A.

October 28-29, 2025. DSHS Public Health Analytics and Research Conference 2025 (PHAR25).
This two-day, free conference is open to all DSHS staff and will be held on the DSHS Central Campus in Austin. Visit the PHAR25 website for more information on the conference and to view the detailed agenda. Click here to register for PHAR25 today. Registration deadline is Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

Websites and reports on trending topics

The Community Guide: The Guide to Community Preventive Services is a collection of evidence-based findings of the Community Preventive Services Task Force. It is a resource to help you select interventions to improve health and prevent disease in your state, community, community organization, business, healthcare organization, or school.

CABI Digital Library is the most thorough and extensive source of reference in the applied life sciences, incorporating the leading bibliographic databases CAB Abstracts and Global Health. CABI's bibliographic databases, including the world-renowned CAB Abstracts and Global Health, contain over 11 million bibliographic records, full-text articles, news items and reports across the applied life sciences.

Lexidrug is a collection of content sets and clinical tools that provides users with robust clinical drug information. It provides full text access to point-of-care information from 13 clinical databases and 4 clinical applications. Databases include Lexi-Drugs, Pediatric Lexi-Drugs, and Geriatric Lexi-Drugs as well as Clinician's Guides to Diagnosis, Internal Medicine and Laboratory Medicine. Clinical applications include drug interactions, tablet & capsule identification, medical calculations, and patient advisory leaflets.

Proquest Health Research Premium offers a unique mix of training content, scholarly literature, and clinical reference materials for those preparing for a career in healthcare. This database offers a broad collection of journals, evidence-based resources, and full-text dissertations, and includes the top ProQuest health and medical databases.

Journal articles of note

Betancourt D, Shumate C, Canfield MA, et al. Assessing the impact of social factors on survival among infants born with transposition of the great arteries, tetralogy of Fallot, and diaphragmatic hernia in Texas, 2011-2019. Matern Child Health J. Published online July 9, 2025. doi:10.1007/s10995-025-04126-2
Abstract
Introduction: Social factors impact survival for infants with birth defects. This analysis describes the impact of social factors on one-year survival for infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), transposition of the great arteries (TGA), and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).
Methods: Survival estimates were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test with 0.05 significance stratified by social factors for infants born 2011-2019 with CDH (N = 942), TGA (N = 1,102), or TOF (N = 1,545). Crude hazard ratios (HR) and adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for infant death using the Cox proportional hazards models.
Results: One-year survival was 88.7% for TOF, 88.0% for TGA, and 72.7% for CDH. Infants with CDH whose mother resided along the Texas-Mexico border had an increased risk of death compared to non-border residents
(HR = 1.68, p =.003). Lower maternal education attainment was associated with increased risk of death for infants with TGA (HR = 1.75, p =.002) or TOF (HR = 1.54, p =.005) compared to infants whose mother had more than a high school education. Maternal Hispanic ethnicity increased the risk of death for infants with TGA (HR = 1.75, p =.005) or TOF (HR = 1.74, p =.002) compared to NH White infants.
Discussion: Hispanic maternal ethnicity, lower maternal educational attainment, and residence along the Texas-Mexico border negatively impact infant one-year survival.

Kemper AR, Lam WKK, Ojodu J, et al. Evidence regarding Duchenne muscular dystrophy newborn screening. Pediatrics. Published online August 12, 2025. doi:10.1542/peds.2025-073192
Abstract
Variants in the DMD gene, located on the X chromosome, cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). DMD reportedly affects about 2 per 10,000 newborn males, leading to progressive weakness and premature death, typically from respiratory or cardiac complications. The average age of diagnosis in the United States (US) over the past four decades has been 4.5 to 5 years. The availability of targeted therapies and the long diagnostic odyssey have led to advocacy for newborn screening (NBS). Studies of caregivers of children with DMD describe support for NBS. Meeting abstracts, which may have bias, suggest earlier identification in a child following DMD diagnosis in an older brother improves outcomes. Ohio and Minnesota include DMD NBS, and other states are planning implementation. DMD NBS is based on measuring the muscle isoform of creatine kinase (CK-MM), which is elevated due to muscle damage. Infants with borderline CK-MM levels can be retested after at least one week to determine if elevations are birth related. Molecular analysis in infants with significantly elevated CK-MM can identify DMD variants associated with DMD or BMD. Screening accuracy depends on the testing algorithm. Although treatment with glucocorticoids or related medications can improve outcomes for DMD despite side effects, the optimal age of initiation is unclear. Efficacy of the Food and Drug Administration-approved gene therapy has not been established, and it has a rare risk of hepatotoxicity. Genotype-specific exon-skipping medications, indicated for 27% of cases, may improve outcomes, but clinical benefit is not definitively established.

Sheriff FR, Benjamin RH, Patel J, et al. Epidemiologic features of preterm birth among infants with trisomy 21 in Texas, 1999-2018. Am J Med Genet A. Published online August 21, 2025. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.64229
Abstract
The rate of preterm birth among infants with trisomy 21 (22%) is around twice that among the general population (10%). We conducted a descriptive epidemiologic study to address the gap in knowledge on what maternal and infant factors are associated with preterm birth among infants with trisomy 21. Singleton infants with trisomy 21 born between 1999 and 2018 were identified from the Texas Birth Defects Registry. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess associations between preterm birth and 14 maternal and infant characteristics. Statistically significant associations were observed between preterm birth and maternal race/ethnicity, maternal age, maternal birthplace, prenatal care, smoking, infant sex, and infant delivery year. For instance, preterm birth was associated with maternal age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.44, 95% CI: 1.23-1.70 for ≥ 40 vs. 25-29 years) and prenatal care (aOR 1.59, 95% CI: 1.25-2.03 for no care versus any care). Our findings contribute toward a better understanding of the risk profile of preterm birth among infants with trisomy 21 and can guide further research on risk factors and potential interventions for reducing preterm birth rates in this population.

Smith DJ, Misas E, Gold JAW, et al. Fungal meningitis in U.S. patients who received epidural anesthesia in Matamoros, Mexico. Clin Infect Dis. Published online July 22, 2025. doi:10.1093/cid/ciaf399
Abstract
Background: Fungal meningitis outbreaks are rare and entail high mortality rates. Beginning May 2023, we investigated fungal meningitis caused by Fusarium solani species complex occurring in U.S. patients who received epidural anesthesia in Matamoros, Mexico.
Methods: Early epidemiological information suggested U.S. patients with suspected fungal meningitis had undergone mostly cosmetic procedures under epidural anesthesia performed in two Matamoros clinics. U.S. patients known to have received surgery at these clinics during January 1-May 13, 2023, (clinic closures date) were identified and notified by public health officials. Epidemiological and clinical data were used to update diagnostic and clinical guidance for outbreak response, including use of the experimental antifungal fosmanogepix. Whole genome sequencing was conducted on outbreak isolates.
Results: U.S. public health officials attempted to contact 233 potentially exposed U.S. residents who underwent surgeries, mostly cosmetic, in Mexico, reaching 170 (73%). Of those, 104 (61%) reported receiving epidural anesthesia and were therefore considered potentially at risk for fungal meningitis. At least 30/104 (29%) at-risk patients received a diagnostic lumbar puncture; 24 (23 women, 17 Hispanic or Latino) were diagnosed with fungal meningitis, and six were not. Twelve (50%) with fungal meningitis died. All cases involved epidural anesthesia administered by the same anesthesiologist in Mexico. Whole genome sequencing showed that patient isolates of Fusarium from the two implicated clinics in Matamoros, Mexico, were genetically closely related.
Conclusions: Clinicians should maintain suspicion for fungal meningitis in patients with negative bacterial culture, viral culture and molecular testing with a history of epidural anesthesia for any reason.

For more information, employees may email the Medical and Research Library at library@dshs.texas.gov to receive research assistance, learn how to access electronic materials, or to obtain the full text of articles mentioned in this month’s news.

The Medical and Research Library News is sent out once a month or when important library news or events occur. Recent issues of the MRL News are online. If any of the links do not open for you, please email library@dshs.texas.gov and we will send you what you need. Thank you!

If you would like to subscribe, please send an email to library@dshs.texas.gov with Subscribe in the subject line.

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August 2025

Medical and Research Library News

Training opportunities
Websites and reports on trending topics
Journal articles of note
New eBooks

Training opportunities

The webinars and online classes listed here are shared solely as opportunities to learn more information of interest to public health personnel. All times listed are in Central Time.

August 12, 2025; 1–2:30 p.m. From Longevity to Vitality: Applying the Science of Aging.
Due to a variety of factors, such as medical advances and a declining birthrate, the median age of the U.S. population has been creeping upwards from around 30 after WWII to 39 today. This demographic shift, accompanied by overall population growth, has increased the population of older adults and those suffering from aging-associated disruptions like dementia. This webinar from the National Academies will explore how policymakers can leverage our scientific understanding of aging to promote thriving and healthy populations.

August 13, 2025; 10–11 a.m. Medical Nutrition Therapy in Clinical Practice: Enhancing Patient Outcomes.
This presentation from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) will introduce participants to the foundational principles of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and highlight how it differs from general nutrition education or wellness advice. Attendees will gain insight into the specialized role of the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) in the development of an individualized plan of care and nutrition therapy interventions. This session will explore conditions such as diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, and gastrointestinal disorders, for which MNT is particularly effective.

August 14, 2025; 1–3 p.m. Increasing Accountability, Performance, and Feedback Skills.
In this webinar from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), leaders will practice a simple yet powerful four-step feedback model that is intentional and has a positive impact. The feedback model is fact-based and highlights the impact of behaviors/performance on the team, department, and organization. It encourages everyone to take accountability for their actions and supports building collaborative solutions between leaders and employees.

Websites and reports on trending topics

CDC Wonder is the CDC Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiological Research. It provides access to a wide array of public health information. Search for and read published documents on public health concerns, including reports, recommendations and guidelines, articles and statistical research data published by CDC. It has reference materials and bibliographies on health-related topics. Query numeric data sets on CDC's information systems via fill-in-the blank webpages. Public-use data sets about mortality (deaths), cancer incidence, HIV and AIDS, TB, natality (births), census data, and many other topics are available for query, and the requested data are readily summarized and analyzed.

Learning Express Library is a resource available through the TexShare databases that offers interactive training modules. It covers topics like math and writing skills, but also includes training on computer software like the Microsoft Office programs, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop. Please email the library if assistance is needed to access the TexShare databases.

ProQuest Public Health is another database is available through the TexShare databases. It is designed to be the ideal starting point for public health information and research. With journals, news, trade publications, reports and more, ProQuest Public Health covers a wide variety of disciplines ranging from social sciences and biological sciences to business. Journal results are indexed from core literature collected from a variety of publishers using appropriate public-health terminology.

State Trackers - NASHP is a site from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) that monitors and displays state-level actions, legislation, and policies related to various healthcare topics. These trackers help state officials, researchers, and the public understand how states are addressing key healthcare issues, such as Medicaid coverage, prescription drug costs, and health system consolidation. The trackers can be filtered by policy area, topic, and state.

Journal articles of note

Barratt JLN, Jacobson D, Pierre-Louis E, et al. Genetic characterization of Plasmodium vivax linked to autochthonous malaria transmission in the US (2023) using Illumina AmpliSeq technology: a genetic epidemiology study. Lancet Reg Health Am. 2025;48:101159. Published 2025 Jun 21. doi:10.1016/j.lana.2025.101159
Abstract
Background: Malaria is a mosquito borne disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. In 2023, the United States (US) experienced nine cases of autochthonous Plasmodium vivax malaria transmission: seven in Florida, one in Texas, and another in Arkansas. These were the first autochthonous cases since 2003 when a cluster was identified in Florida. The aim of this study was to genetically characterize the implicated P. vivax isolates in order to complement epidemiologic investigations of these cases.
Methods: A custom Illumina AmpliSeq sequencing panel capturing 495 amplicons was designed. This panel was used to ascertain whether these 2023 cases were related and assess if they were associated with a single or separate introduction event. Sequence data were hierarchically clustered, and a Naïve Bayes classification approach was used to assign genotypes to a probable geographic origin based on 113 'geo-informative' SNPs captured by the panel. Genotypes associated with the 2023 Arkansas, Texas, and Florida cases were clustered alongside those sequenced from archived blood samples from the 2003 Florida case-patients, a set of reference strains, and other travel-associated specimens. Microsatellite analysis was performed on a subset of samples from these autochthonous cases to complement the AmpliSeq analysis.
Findings: The 2023 autochthonous Florida cases were genetically linked as were the 2003 Florida cases. The 2023 and 2003 Florida clusters were genetically distinct, and the two Florida clusters were distinct from the 2023 Texas and Arkansas cases, which were also distinct from each other. These genotypes classified to the Central or South American region using the Naïve Bayes classifier, including those from the 2003 cluster.
Interpretation: These data support that at least three distinct P. vivax introduction events in the US in 2023, involving parasites possessing genetic signatures consistent with Central or South America.

Betancourt D, Shumate C, Canfield MA, et al. Assessing the impact of social factors on survival among infants born with transposition of the great arteries, tetralogy of tallot, and diaphragmatic hernia in Texas, 2011-2019. Matern Child Health J. Published online July 9, 2025. doi:10.1007/s10995-025-04126-2
Abstract
Introduction: Social factors impact survival for infants with birth defects. This analysis describes the impact of social factors on one-year survival for infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), transposition of the great arteries (TGA), and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).
Methods: Survival estimates were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test with 0.05 significance stratified by social factors for infants born 2011-2019 with CDH (N = 942), TGA (N = 1,102), or TOF (N = 1,545). Crude hazard ratios (HR) and adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for infant death using the Cox proportional hazards models.
Results: One-year survival was 88.7% for TOF, 88.0% for TGA, and 72.7% for CDH. Infants with CDH whose mother resided along the Texas-Mexico border had an increased risk of death compared to non-border residents (HR = 1.68, p =.003). Lower maternal education attainment was associated with increased risk of death for infants with TGA (HR = 1.75, p =.002) or TOF (HR = 1.54, p =.005) compared to infants whose mother had more than a high school education. Maternal Hispanic ethnicity increased the risk of death for infants with TGA (HR = 1.75, p =.005) or TOF (HR = 1.74, p =.002) compared to NH White infants.
Discussion: Hispanic maternal ethnicity, lower maternal educational attainment, and residence along the Texas-Mexico border negatively impact infant one-year survival.

Haas CB, McGee-Avila JK, Luo Q, et al. Cancer incidence and trends in US adults with HIV. JAMA Oncol. Published online June 12, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.1589
Abstract
Importance: People with HIV are living longer due to improvements in antiretroviral therapy over the last 2 decades. Current age-specific estimates of cancer risk among people with HIV may inform cancer prevention and clinical guidelines for this population.
Objective: To estimate cancer incidence rates (IRs) using a population-based linkage of HIV and cancer registries.
Design, setting, and participants: This population-based cohort study used data from 12 US states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2019. People with HIV and the general population in the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study were included in the analysis, which occurred between October 2023 and December 2024.
Main outcomes and measures: Age-standardized IRs (per 100,000 person-years) were calculated across calendar periods (2001 to 2004, 2005 to 2009, 2010 to 2014, and 2015 to 2019) and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) across calendar periods using adjusted Poisson regression. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were estimated for 2010 to 2014 and 2015 to 2019, and age group-specific cancer incidence and SIRs were estimated for 2010 to 2019.
Results: The analysis included 7.2 million person-years among 847 107 people with HIV (5.3 million person-years among males [73%]). Comparing years 2015 to 2019 to years 2010 to 2014, incidence of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) decreased 23% (IRR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.70-0.84), Kaposi sarcoma (KS) decreased 24% (IRR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.69-0.84), Hodgkin lymphoma decreased 25% (IRR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.65-0.86), and cancers of the lung decreased 17% (IRR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.77-0.90) and liver decreased 25% (IRR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.67-0.84). Among people with HIV aged 70 to 84 years, IRs were highest for cancers of the prostate (448.01; 95% CI, 404.26-495.20), lung (269.79; 95% CI, 240.86-301.24), female breast (202.29; 95% CI, 155.79-258.32), liver (82.82; 95% CI, 67.16-101.03), and colon (107.57; 95% CI, 89.61-128.08), exceeding the IRs for DLBCL (41.83; 95% CI, 30.95-55.31) and KS (15.37; 95% CI, 9.11-24.29). From 2015 to 2019, risk remained significantly elevated in people with HIV for several cancer types, including KS (SIR, 213.87; 95% CI, 198.81-229.73), Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR, 6.29; 95% CI, 5.68-6.94), DLBCL (SIR, 5.25; 95% CI, 5.25-6.01), cancers of the anus (SIR, 17.07; 95% CI, 16.01-18.17), vulva (SIR, 11.40; 95% CI, 9.60-13.44), liver (SIR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.74-2.05), and lung (SIR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.51-1.68). For nearly all these cancers, SIRs significantly declined with increasing age.
Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study, significant declines in the incidence and relative risk for cancers among people with HIV demonstrate continued progress in HIV treatment and cancer prevention. These estimates may provide insight into the priorities for prevention and early detection of cancer as the population of people with HIV enters ages with greater risk for cancer.

Valdez KR, Mendell NL, Escárcega-Ávila AM, et al. Survey of fleas and ticks for Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia typhi in the El Paso community and other areas in Texas, New Mexico, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Am J Trop Med Hyg. Published online June 17, 2025. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.24-0709
Abstract
This survey was conducted with the aim of determining the public health risk of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and murine typhus in the urban and peri-urban areas of El Paso, as well as other areas in Texas, southern New Mexico, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The approach was to assess the diversity of tick and flea species, determine if the ticks and fleas were infected with Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia typhi (R. typhi), respectively, and assess previous human infection with Rickettsia species. Ticks and fleas were collected from domestic and wild animals and tested using a nested polymerase chain reaction assay. Human plasma samples were also tested for antibodies using an indirect fluorescence assay. Among 203 fleas, including Pulex irritans, Echidnophaga gallinacea, and Ctenocephalides felis (C. felis), collected from wild and domestic small mammals, only one pool of four C. felis collected from a dog in the El Paso community was positive for Rickettsia felis. All 194 Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks collected from stray and domestic dogs in the El Paso community, southern Doña Ana County, and Ciudad Juarez were negative for Rickettsia spp. In Travis County, Texas, a total of 207 ticks collected from white-tailed deer, including 196 Ixodes scapularis and 11 Dermacentor albipictus, were negative for Rickettsia spp. pathogens. Among 375 archived human plasma samples collected in the El Paso community, only two were positive for R. typhi antibodies. These preliminary findings suggested that tick- and flea-borne diseases were not a major health risk in the El Paso community, or the other areas included in this survey.

New eBooks in the library

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green

How to Read a Paper: The Basics of Evidence-Based Healthcare by Trisha M. Greenhalgh

Institutional Review Board: Management and Function edited by Elizabeth A. Bankert & Bruce G. Gordon

Investing in Health and Wellbeing: When Prevention Is Better Than Cure by Christoper Dye

Leading Through: Activating the Soul, Heart, and Mind of Leadership by Kim B. Clark

If you would like to subscribe, please send an email to library@dshs.texas.gov with Subscribe in the subject line.

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July 2025

Medical and Research Library News

Training opportunities
Websites and reports on trending topics
Journal articles of note
New ebooks

Training opportunities

The webinars and online classes listed here are shared solely as opportunities to learn more information of interest to public health personnel. All times listed are in Central Time.

July 10, 2025; 1–3:30 p.m. Exploring the Types of Evidence Behind Diet and Chronic Disease.
Join this webinar from the National Academies to explore the types of evidence used to look at relationships between diet and chronic disease.

July 17, 2025; 11:30a.m.–1 p.m. Empowering Patients to Change Behavior Using Digital Healthcare Tools.
This webinar from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) will explore how digital health tools can empower patients to take an active role in their health and drive meaningful, sustainable behavior change. The panel will examine how clinical decision support systems, artificial intelligence-powered platforms, and mobile health apps can help healthcare providers engage patients in managing chronic conditions and making informed decisions about their health.

July 29, 2025; 12–1:30 p.m. Health Statistics on the Web.
Join this webinar from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) to learn the difference between data and statistics, key features and use of health statistics, steps to finding health statistics, and sources of health statistics at the local, state and national level in this 90-minute webinar.

July 30, 2025; 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. DSHS Grand Rounds - Transforming HIV Prevention and Care.
This webinar is offered by the DSHS Office of Practice and Learning Grand Rounds program. Presenters will describe recent advances in HIV prevention and care, with a focus on the exciting developments in long-acting HIV prevention and treatment. Dr. Taylor will also cover the state of the HIV epidemic in Texas and the evolution of comprehensive HIV care.

Websites and reports on trending topics

CINAHL Complete is a DSHS library e-resource that provides access to literature in nursing and allied health disciplines dating back to 1981. The full text of 600 journals can be found within, and over 5,600 journals are indexed, including virtually all English language nursing journals along with selected titles in biomedicine, alternative therapies, and consumer health. Please contact the library for remote access options.

Disaster Research Response (DR2) Resources Portal is a repository of data collection tools and related resources curated by the National Institutes of Health to empower human health research in response to disasters and public health emergencies.

ECRI Guidelines Trust is a publicly available repository of objective, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines that provides physicians, nurses, and other healthcare practitioners with up-to-date clinical practices to advance safe and effective patient care.

ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, is a bibliographic search engine providing free access to educational-related literature. ERIC provides coverage of journal articles, conferences, meetings, government documents, theses, reports, audiovisual media, and monographs.

Journal articles of note

Danner MT, Schrodt CA, Tuttle A, et al. Three cases of adolescent orf virus skin and soft tissue infection in southeast Texas. Pediatr Infect Dis J. Published online May 9, 2025. doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000004851
Abstract
We report 3 adolescents who presented to a tertiary care hospital in Houston, Texas, with cutaneous skin lesions after contact with sheep and/or goats. The cases presented a diagnostic challenge initially but were later suspected or confirmed as orf virus infection after consultation with infectious diseases specialists.

Jackson SS, Pfeiffer RM, Gardner E, et al. Sex differences in cancer mortality among solid organ transplant recipients. Int J Cancer. 2025;157(3):427-435. doi:10.1002/ijc.35415
Abstract
Males have increased mortality after a cancer diagnosis than females, possibly due to poorer immunosurveillance. We tested whether the female survival advantage is lost with immunosuppression by evaluating 17,048 cancer patients (68% male) with a prior solid organ transplant using data from the US Transplant Cancer Match Study and 1,221,914 cancer patients (58% male) from the general population using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. We evaluated 13 solid cancers that occur in both sexes. We compared mortality due to cancer in males and females using a male:female hazard ratio (M:F HR) derived from Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, diagnosis year, stage, and cancer treatment. Among cancer patients in the general population, males had higher cancer-specific mortality than females for cancers of the lip, stomach, colorectum, anus, liver, lung, skin, brain, and thyroid, with M:F HRs ranging from 1.06 to 1.59. Only colorectal cancer showed an attenuation in the female mortality advantage in transplant recipients (M:F HRTransplant: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.03; vs. M:F HRGenPop: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.08; P-interaction = 0.007). Among kidney cancer patients, the female mortality advantage was stronger in the transplant population (M:F HRTransplant: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.60; M:F HRGenPop: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.04; P-interaction = 0.003). Overall, we did not find consistent evidence that the female advantage in cancer mortality is weakened among immunosuppressed transplant recipients, suggesting that non-immune factors contribute to the female advantage among cancer patients in the general population.

Shumate C, Allred R, Dixon A, et al. Trends in the prevalence of Down syndrome (Trisomy 21) in Texas by maternal race/ethnicity and maternal age groups, 1999-2020. Am J Med Genet A. Published online May 4, 2025. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.64109
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a common chromosomal aneuploidy characterized by intellectual disability. Older maternal age is the strongest known risk factor for DS. The purpose of this study was to describe DS prevalence among major racial/ethnic groups stratified by maternal age, and to assess trends in prevalence over time in Texas. Cases with DS diagnoses delivered between 1999 and 2020 were identified from the Texas Birth Defects Registry (TBDR). Birth prevalence and crude prevalence ratios (PRs) by maternal race/ethnicity, maternal education, residence along the Texas-Mexico border, and Texas public health region (PHR) were calculated. Trends over time were assessed using Joinpoint. DS prevalence was significantly lower among mothers < 35 years compared to those 35+ years. Hispanic mothers, mothers with less than high school education, and mothers residing along the Texas-Mexico border had consistently higher PRs. Joinpoint analyses revealed significant increases in DS prevalence over time among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic mothers. These findings identified significant increases in DS prevalence among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic mothers compared to non-Hispanic White mothers, suggesting a potential widening of racial/ethnic differences in DS occurrence. Further research is needed to explore underlying drivers of these trends and to address differences in DS prevalence.

Stephens SB, Morris SA, Benjamin RH, et al. Longitudinal trends in pediatric survival by congenital heart defect in Texas, 1999 to 2017. JACC Adv. Published online May 19, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.101812
Abstract
Background: Despite previously improved survival among children with congenital heart defects (CHDs), U.S. population-level evaluations of survival within recent years are scarce.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the survival landscape among children with CHDs in a large population-based birth defects registry overall and by CHD lesion.
Methods: This population-based cohort study evaluated 1999 to 2017 live births with ≥1 major CHD in the statewide Texas Birth Defects Registry. Variables included CHD lesion, demographics, gestational age at birth (term/preterm), low birthweight (<2,500 g at birth), among others. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to describe survival to 7 days, 28 days, 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years of life. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were generated for 1-year survival for CHDs overall by lesion, using log-rank tests assessing differences by exposure.
Results: Of 61,656 children with CHDs, survival was 98.1% and 90.7% at 7 days and 10 years, respectively, and substantially varied by lesion (range, 50.0% to 97.3% 10-year survival). Survival longitudinally improved for complex lesions including hypoplastic left heart syndrome (48.7% 1-year survival for cases born 1999-2004 vs 64.8% in 2014-2017; P < 0.0001). One-year survival differed by maternal race/ethnicity (eg, 58.3% for cases with complex pulmonary atresia born to non-Hispanic Black mothers vs 80.5% for non-Hispanic White mothers, P = 0.01), sex, gestational age, birthweight, and extracardiac defect status.
Conclusions: One-year survival improved for most CHDs over recent decades, although survival varies widely by CHD and characteristics. Findings have implications for clinical counseling, population-level resource and research planning, and reinforce the need for mitigation of disparities among individuals with CHDs.